A Long Way to Go
by always-kh
Summary: The Hollow Bastion gang meets Sora. First impressions are... not in his favor. He has a long way before he becomes hero material. Plus it turns out being a hero is hardly as awesome as it first sounds.


Yuffie was definitely not stalking Squall right now. Nope, nope, nope. It was… reconnaissance. He simply happened to be brooding at the place she was reconnoitering at was all. And she certainly wasn't doing a silly thing like worry about him and his mental health after the most recent Heartless attack that had just cropped up and promptly died down. (Hopefully without taking too many people with it). Because either way he'd do what he pleased. But they were partners and partners looked after each other so she'd just keep an eye out just in case.

And that was why she sat by the sidelines and noticed when he came across a new and obviously lost and confused new kid. _There goes another world…_ But when Squall startled the guy who pulled out… Huh wha buh? How?

Somehow Yuffie had never _(ever ever) _suspected that the long awaited and coveted position of Keyblade Master, or at least wielder at this point, would, despite his blustering, be some poor confused, frightened _kid_ with no idea what was going on. It was just a little disheartening.

As was the fact that he was currently having his ass handed to him courtesy of Leon. Clang, clang, thwump (ouch!) she winced a little in sympathy having been on the receiving end of the blade before. A lot. Training exercises sucked. _(_But at least they less resembled let's beat the snot out of Yuffie parties. Squall respected her skills now._)_ And, speaking of him, she could just tell the poor man was steaming _(and the Keyblade Wielder's going to take the brunt. Poor kid. Hey rather him than me though)_ because she knew he wanted that role _(Keyblade Master, protector of the worlds)_ more than words could express. And she wanted to be able to give it to him too. Not that she could or anything _(or that anyone in their right mind _should _want it because it's hard enough protecting this _one_ world thank you very much)_, but still it's the thought that counts and all that rot, right? So if he wanted it she'd try her damndest.

Still as she stared at the lump of collapsed pre-teen in front of her, courtesy of a nice bonk on the head that would swell a bit _(and oh please don't let him have gotten brain damage. Darnn it Squall we need him!), _she couldn't help her sigh from up on her perch.

This is going to mean a lot of work. And that kid is going to hate his life soon.

Still she smiled gamely, because even a pint-sized Keyblade wielder was better than none, and they'd whip him into shape in no time and then Heartless be gone from her town. They had just found their very own personal Heartless exorcist or something. And Leon might need her help now. She was bouncing now just a little on the balls of her feet because hell yeah Yuffie K to the rescue!

"Awww. You're slipping Leon," she teased because it had been entirely evident how sloppy his form had been. He was hardly even trying. She'd be insulted if he started fighting her like that.

He looked up from the lump he had been contemplating, probably trying to figure out how to best move the boy without further brain damage or risk of Heartless attack, and gave her what she thought was a very brief smile (and she felt kinda tingly and light now and her heart felt like it might do flip-flops inside her stomach) before he gave his excuse of: "I went easy on him."

She gave a happy, dorky grin. It was nice to be needed even better when he looked like he was actually happy to see her. That was like super ultra mega rare. And she was an opportunist.

But he had to ruin it instantly.

"Looks like things are worse than we thought. A lot worse," his voice spelled doom and gloom and more gloom and she rolled her eyes.

"Hey we have a chance to meet and train the Keyblade wielder I bet they'll make songs, no scratch that, freaking epic _ballads_, to honor us, Leon."

She caught the amused shake of his head. It was nice shaking him out of his gloom sometimes. It would be even nicer if she could do it more, but for right now she'd be damn proud of her work. She made him smile a little. Yes she was awesome.

"So do you want to carry him or should I?"

And he had to steal her moment again. "Why don't we—oh durrr nevermind," she tried to backpedal waving her arms.

"Why don't we what?"

Well at least he still sounded entertained. "Well I was going to say why don't we carry him between the two of us like an arm slung around each of our shoulders… but uhhh…" she gestured between them, "there's uh the small factor that you're insanely tall."

At that he did laugh though she didn't think she was that funny. This is just proof he's been under way too much stress…

She pondered for a minute since obviously, and sadly, only one of them could carry the poor teen it meant she wouldn't be walking right beside her crush. Ah well. She could carry him. Probably. Maybe. It had been a while since she'd done weight training since that didn't usually contribute to defeating Heartless. But there was also the matter of the weapons holstered all over her and on her back that she'd then have to throw off and… "You carry him; I have the advantage of my shuriken as ranged weapons as opposed to that gunblade of yours. We still need more ammo for that right?"

His slight nod of approval had her giddy. It was a good call. She was new at this yeah, but that was okay and she was good and her partner trusted her.

They made their way back mostly in silence after that.

* * *

Talk of other worlds. Okay that he could deal with because even though the adults weren't sure what to think there were stories and Kairi herself had come from nowhere so he and Riku had always expected and planned.

But he was supposed to be like some magical miraculous Keyblade wielding hero? That that… sounded cool, really cool even. And if he knew his friends were alright and okay or with him or anything maybe he'd be okay with it. It might be nice to be more special than Riku for once because he wasn't stupid and the other boy beat him at everything to the point it was _unfair_. And maybe maybe it would impress Kairi too… nah. That seemed unlikely somehow. She'd just laugh and say he was the same old Sora no matter what. And that was… mildly reassuring somehow. He should be happy he was suddenly supposed to be a hero apparently. And he was… kinda but, but…

But all this was beside the point because he didn't even know if they were okay and it seemed this Leon, Squall, whatever, guy kinda hated his guts already and thought he sucked at this whole thing already. Which he could understand. The other guy had been toying with him and he'd been too stupid to notice. He buried his face in the pillow below him because really he just wanted to hide right now. Stupid stupid stupid. Why would the oversized key ever choose him?

But honestly he didn't really care about that right now. He didn't want to be special anymore. He just wanted his friends back. When Riku and Kairi got together he'd now be able to give them his blessing so long as they stay safe, stay with him.

Because when he'd though he'd seen Kairi he'd just been so happy and the relief was so amazing and finding out it wasn't her, he was seeing things and just missed her too much, worried too much already wasn't good. He worried about them both but Kairi more because Riku had seemed weird and maybe a little crazy but happy and like he at least knew what the hell was going on back then but Kairi had just looked so lost. And she just sounded so dead when she turned to him and then she went _through_ him and that couldn't happen and where did she go? What had happened? Was she okay?

He just wanted to let someone else have the stupid key everyone was after, that the Heartless were after, and look for his friends in peace.

But these new guys he'd met, the talking duck and the talking uh… Goofy, had said they could try to help him find his friends and that was the best he could do right now.

First though, he'd been told he was staying here a couple of days to train. He groaned at the thought because Leon-Squall-guy was going to pound him into the dirt and _enjoy_ it (and he'd swear he'd done nothing at all to provoke it! Not a darn thing.) And the ninja girl would just watch and add to his misery by the looks of it.

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Well… he was right and wrong at the same time. Yuffie could fight. And she could also chime in from the sidelines to encourage her partner. And it all sucked.

But he was sick and tired of this and he had to do better _(Riku Kairi, where are you? Please please be okay you have to be just wait for me please!)_ so he downed potions like a starving man does food and trained and learned. And he still charged in_ (the Keyblade is only good in close fights after all) _but he did a better job. For them. And him. Because no way was he going to die before he found his friends.

And, somehow, by the end of two weeks (and they could teach him more—they offered to do so—but his friends, Riku and Kairi and it had already been long, so long and he needed to find them now now now and it was amazing they had kept him there long as they had actually because he just needed to go) he could hold his own in a fight. Not always with the most skill or flourish (and they still corrected and nitpicked all the time), but he was small and wiry and fast too and he got good very very good at dodging and he had stamina and reflexes. And that was finally enough for them to pronounce him ready enough though they made him promise to train, properly, whenever he could, but not to the point of exhaustion, he could only do that with them where they could protect him.

But it was the weirdest thing because somehow leaving them all was hard even though all he'd wanted to leave this whole time now he almost wasn't sure. He knew them all by name now. Yuffie, Leon (Squall), Aerith, Cid. And they all gave him gifts when he was about to leave and he was touched because they had to know how grudgingly he stayed and how much he'd worried but they forgave him and accepted him into their group somehow. He was one of them now. And he was leaving.

They would be okay though. They were okay and they had just needed a little hope. Kairi and Riku needed him more; they might not be so lucky or okay and now he had the skills to keep them safe (no more fighting with toy swords).

So he was able to smile and pull away and not feel too bad about it because they all had each other and they were survivors and veterans of this whole thing. They already had a whole organized thing and patrols and volunteers and it made him wonder why him actually because surely one of them should have had the Keyblade and not him (they certainly seemed more heroic than him too). And then everyone could win. Because right now he didn't care about all the worlds (well he did but just a vague sort of wish you well sort of way) he cared about his friends more and didn't that make him unworthy or something?


End file.
